Convert an integer to a string in Python

Use str(number) to get an integer's decimal string representation. When the number belongs inside a larger message, an f-string usually keeps the expression easier to read.

Convert with str()

number = 5
text = str(number)
print(text)        # 5
print(type(text))  # <class 'str'>

The printed characters look the same as the number, but text is a string. str() also supports other objects through their string representation; that does not mean every representation is a number you can parse back.

Embed or format the number

number = 5
message = f"Quantity: {number}"
padded = f"{number:04d}"
print(message)  # Quantity: 5
print(padded)   # 0005

F-strings are available from Python 3.6. They also support format specifications such as zero padding, making them useful beyond a plain type conversion.

Older code often uses str.format(), which remains valid:

text = "{}".format(5)
message = "Quantity: {}".format(5)

Avoid adding a string to an integer

"Quantity: " + 5 raises TypeError. Convert explicitly or use an f-string:

message = "Quantity: " + str(5)
message = f"Quantity: {5}"

These are equivalent ways to construct the message, not arithmetic addition.

FAQ

Do str() and repr() differ for integers? For ordinary built-in integers, they produce the same decimal text. Their broader purposes differ: str() is for readable output, while repr() aims at an informative representation for debugging. For strings, repr() includes quotes and escapes.

Can I convert the result back? int("5") returns 5. Invalid integer syntax raises ValueError; a decimal string such as "5.2" is not accepted by int() directly.

How do I use another base? bin(5), oct(5), and hex(255) return "0b101", "0o5", and "0xff". For digits without the prefix, use a format specification such as format(255, "x"), which returns "ff". Parsing an explicit hexadecimal string uses int("ff", 16).

References

• Python conversion and formatting functions
• Python format specification syntax